


The Strength of Our Bonds

by laadychat



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Will Tag More as I write, Zutara, Zutara Week 2020
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:21:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25525078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laadychat/pseuds/laadychat
Summary: Zuko understood early on what the war was about and decided he needed to help end it all. He wasn't exactly sure how though, it wasn't like he could step into the Fire Nation when he wanted to.Katata left her home to find a waterbending master and along the way, she learned something of her people's past. Deciding that she'll have a hand in ending the war, she set out with her brother.Stumbling upon each other, Zuko and Katara realized that maybe they were the answering they were searching far. Will they be able to comb through the messiness of the world to bring peace to everyone?Or was it all a lost cause?Zutara Week 2020, baby. I've decided to make it into a full fledge story rather than separate pieces. Hope you enjoy it!
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 36





	1. Reunion

Zuko knew there was a war going on, that the Fire Nation was trying to spread its excellence to everyone around them. He grew to think that the other nations were wrong and his nation was fighting to show them the right way, the _best_ way to live. The uncivilized Earth Kingdom and the savages of the poles - didn’t they understand that their ways were wrong?

And the air nomads struck his nation first, their disappearance wasn’t the Fire Nation’s fault.

When Zuko was banished, he thought that the world would be happy to see him, would be thankful for the Fire Nation’s ways of enlightenment.

He didn’t understand why his uncle was disappointed whenever he brought this up.

It wasn’t until he stepped foot into the first Earth Kingdom colony on his journey when the first cracks appeared in his conviction. 

The people of this village ran from him, sneered at him when they thought he wasn't looking, 

They _hated_ him, hated the Fire Nation. 

He left the village, angry and disappointed. Surely, the fallen village will understand in the future of how his home has helped them.

But then he stepped into another earth city and all around him was green and laughter - a festival was raging, one where red was nowhere to be seen, a city untouched by his people. An _earth kingdom_ festival, with music he has never heard of, food he has never seen, dancing he has never witnessed and the crack grew, chipping away his strong faith in the purpose of the war.

Instead of slipping away, back to his base, he found some earthy clothes and joined those celebrating. If only to try and understand these people and why they didn’t want the influence of his people.

When he returned, he thought of the happiness he saw, the kindness of those around him.

That’s when he first asked his uncle what the meaning behind the war really was.

They didn’t need the fire nation’s customs - they had their own. 

-

His steadfast faith completely shattered when he stumbled upon a small village, one he knew the Fire Nation once had control of. All around him, he saw the destruction of homes, of burned down stores, of people laying without shelter. 

“What happened, Uncle?” He asked the man with him, unable to comprehend what was in front of him. 

His uncle sighed, resting a hand on his shoulder. “War, my dear nephew. This is the city of Gizochu, once a great and powerful city of the Earth Kingdom.” 

_Powerful city?_ “How did it become like this?”

Iroh remained silent for a few minutes, only speaking after he took a sweep of the land in front of them. “The Fire Nation… has certain tactics in war.” 

It was clear what the older man was saying. _Fire Nation destroyed this city._ But Zuko didn’t know of any cities of his land that were destroyed, certainly not by the people of the Earth Kingdom. If the other nations were truly the enemy of the Fire Nation, then why was the only destruction he had come across was _created_ by his land?

The thought of the Air Temples suddenly crossed his mind and with his heart in his throat, Zuko faced his uncle.

“Tell me how the war started, Uncle.”

-

Looking out into the ocean, Zuko tried to remember what it felt like being home again.

_Home._

Was the Fire Nation still his home? These types of thoughts have been happening more frequently and whereas he would be angry at himself for thinking such treacherous thoughts before, he only feels empty now.

It’s been four years since he’s left the heat, the sun, the luxuries of being a prince. 

The scarred, banished prince of the Fire Nation. 

Now, at the age of seventeen, he’s long given up the idea of finding the avatar. Not because he doesn’t think he’d be able to find them, but if the avatar is out there somewhere, then maybe the fighting, the bloodshed, the _war,_ would stop. 

He knows he can’t go home. The whole reason why his father sent him out on this quest made sure of that. 

Zuko wonders if it's because the fire lord knew once he took over, he would end the fighting. 

When he first embarked on this journey, his only goal was to find the avatar, to finally have his father look at him with something besides disappointment. 

Once after seeing the destruction, the anguish his people have created in the world, he would take his father’s dissatisfaction over having a hand in continuing this war.

While on his trip, he tried to bring a little hope to those he passed by. Help villages clear of soldiers, bring food to those hungry, medicines to those sick. He did it all under a disguise, not wanting word to reach his father. 

But he knew that wouldn’t be enough. His crew was made up of those casted out by the Fire Lord and they agreed that the war needed to be over. 

His quiet musing was interrupted by someone standing next to him and that’s when Zuko made up his mind.

He would find the Avatar but not for his father. 

He would find the Avatar to _defeat_ his father. 

-

It’s been three years since she’s seen the snow, felt the chills of her home.

It’s been two since she’s seen snow in general. 

Katara has been wandering around the Earth Kingdom with her brother since they departed from the Northern Water Tribe. 

Memories of the snowy tendrils fill her with both betrayal and bitterness. The north pole was untouched by the firebenders and their city remained tall and strong. How was it that they were completely intact while those of the south are only a handful? And she couldn’t forget how surprised they were to learn that they were from the south.

 _‘I thought there were no more people living in the south pole,’_ their chief muttered, she recalls. But that wasn’t the only thing that didn’t make sense to her - Chief Arnook didn’t seem pleased to have them be in front of him. Shouldn’t he be happy that his sister tribe wasn’t completely wiped out? And how were they so out of the loop of what’s going on in the world that he wasn’t aware of their existence?

And Katara didn’t want to remember what occurred after she asked their waterbending master if he could teach her combat bending. It took everything in Katara to be able to learn and even then, they weren’t happy about it.

It didn’t sit right with her, how this place was able to live in peace and complete bliss. They didn’t have to worry about the war. It also made no sense that they weren’t thrown into this war the way her people had. If the next cycle of the elements was water, wouldn’t the fire nation have gone after _both_ poles and not just one? 

Katara finally got her answer when she stumbled upon a quiet conversation between the chief and her teacher. As it turns out, the most powerful water benders came from the Southern Water Tribe. And most of the Avatar that was born from water benders were from there as well.

The North never liked this.

It wasn’t just that but the other nations always had a better relationship with her tribe then with them, especially with the Fire Nation- the Northern Water Tribe _hated_ this.

They saw their opening when Sozin decided to start this war - in exchange for peace, Chief Arnook’s grandfather sold out his sister tribe. 

Angry by this revelation, Katara waited until the whole city was asleep before slipping into their library and taking a few books - books of how exactly betrayed the south. As it turns out, the south pole had multiple cities, all grand and stronger than the north's. Katara still couldn't understand what went wrong until she stumbled upon the book that detailed the north's ultimate betrayal. 

They had sent people to the south, for extra hands, only for those people to send intel to the fire nation. Using the information they gained, the people of the north found the south's weak spots. Thus leading to the fall of her people. Just a couple of years after what Agni's children did to the Air Nomads. 

The North was also not the original home of the water and moon spirit.

One day, as Katara wanted to pass this information to Sokka, they were requested by Master Pakku. And it was that he confessed to what Katara had recently stumbled upon. He explained about how he was told the Fire Nation has completely wiped out the South, how he believes his tribe has gained the curse of both Tui and La for their actions.

_'I would have looked for you.'_

And Katara knows she shouldn't blame him for the actions of his ancestors but it doesn't stop the hurt, the betrayal she feels. 

He starts teaching her the bending of her people, having found scolls of them before. 

The only reason she bows to him, and only him, before their final departure was because she overheard a heated argument between him and the chief. The waterbender had told the chief he thinks she was one of the world's last hope in stopping the maddest the Fire Nation started. How it was because of what the North helped out in that the number of benders in the north is shrinking, that their bending is not as strong as it use to be. He had defended her and taught her as much history of her people that he could.

For that, she was thankful.

It was moments like this when she wished her brother was with her. They were separated a couple of weeks prior due to a storm and a Fire Nation raid on the last village they entered and she hasn’t been able to rest properly since then. It wasn’t because she was too worried - her brother was more than capable in taking care of himself. But when the forest was quiet, she craved the chattering that was so Sokka.

All she knew was to make her way south - they always had a meetup spot and their destination this time was home. So she marched on, praying to spirits that she would find him soon.

Sighing, she sat down under a tree and tipped her head back, closing her eyes. No matter how many months she has been in the Earth Kingdom, she couldn’t get used to the humidity. It stuck against her skin, causing her hair to do things she never thought was possible. The only positive thing she could think of was that she had water at her disposal at any time. And the realization that a great body of water was not too far from her.

She thought about what Master Pakku told her about the Avatar. He had thought she was the one but it was quickly dismissed when it was evident she could only bend water. When her grangran told her stories about them, it was all made-up, simply a bedtime story. To know that the last Avatar was an Air Nomad, it twisted her heart in a wrenched way. Even if the Avatar was born to other elements, who would be able to teach them to bend air?

Before she could allow herself some rest, she was alerted by the sounds of a fight nearby. 

What she wasn't expecting to break through the tree lines was a boy so obvious a citizen of the Fire Nation dressed in the greens of the Earth Kingdom.

-

Zuko thinks he's been cursed. He had to be - it's the only explanation he could think that would explain his rotten luck.

His crew was ambushed by a group of Fire Nation soldiers that were sent by the order of his father to bring him home. 

_ Capture, dead or alive _ was they actually said. And like hell, would Zuko let them drag him back to Caldera City in chains. 

So as he fought, he was separated from his uncle, a few soldiers on his tail as he ventured deeper into the forest. He also thinks he was doing a pretty decent job fighting them off but all that thought came to a halt when suddenly, a wave of water doused the three soldiers. In their moment of confusion, Zuko attacked, drawing them back.

It was only when another stream of water, a whip he'll later understand it as, snapped against one of his opponents that he understood.

_ A waterbender _ . 

And one that's fighting with him instead of against him.

"Looks like you might need some help." A voice called out to him and he felt a shiver run down his spine. Glancing over his shoulder, his gaze found a girl, not much younger than he was. She was wearing green like him but her dark skin and blue eyes gave away just exactly where she was from.

_ Water Tribe. _

Before he had the chance to respond, he ducked away from another fire blast, grunting in annoyance. 

It was odd, how in sync they were as they fought. It seemed almost as if they were used to this, fighting side by side. He wondered why she was helping him but he wasn’t able to look at a camelostrich in the mouth. As long as he got these soldiers off his back, he would face the consequences later. 

The fight was almost too easy at this point - were the spirits trying to tell him something? Even when more men in red showed up, they were able to still hold their ground.

“How do I always get myself into this type of mess?” He muttered, rolling his eyes. If this girl didn’t show up when she did, he's pretty sure these soldiers would already have him handcuffed.

“Come on, fireman, smile in the face of danger, yeah?”  The comment nearly made him drop his concentration. Was she teasing him? In the middle of a fight?

Shaking off his stupor, he pressed on, marveling at how she was able to have fun in the middle of all this. 

“Maybe if the danger was a cute waterbender, I’d gladly get my ass beat.” A smirk grazed at his lips, moving to block a flame headed her way. He wasn't sure what compelled him to make a comment. Maybe it was the adrenaline rushing through him. 

Maybe it was the fact that she was the most stunning person he's ever laid eyes on.

He heard her snort, flipping her hair over her shoulder before shooting him a wicked smile.  _ Agni, let me survive this.  _ "Smooth and handsome, what a catch." 

If she hadn't raised a wave blocking the attacks, he swears he would have been burned. He felt his concentration slip as he gazed at her, lost for words.

Before she gave him time to respond to  _ that,  _ she absolutely annihilated any coherent thoughts he had. When she locked her gaze, he straightened up his shoulder and returned her grin. There was no way he was going to show this beautiful girl how awkward he really was. 

It wasn’t like him to get so enamored by someone the first time he met them but he didn’t have time to think of this now. 

"Why don't we wrap this up, gorgeous?"

Her smile turned downright mischievous and he was so glad he wasn’t the one fighting her. Then, as one, they engaged in fighting, making it seem like their previous spar was simply child play and within minutes, their opponents were effectively knocked out. 

He turned around, lips curling in a smile as he stood in front of her. When she faced him, the air was whooshed out of him, rendering him dumbfounded. He thought she was pretty before but now that he had the chance to really take in her features,  _ pretty  _ came nowhere close to how beautiful she was. 

But besides her absolutely stunning looks, he was bustling with questions.

For instance, why was a waterbender out here in the Earth Kingdom? Alone? He knew the north kept to themselves, having gotten an oath from his great-grandfather that they'd be left out of the war. A waterbender from the north fighting against Fire Nation guards would be a breach in that contract. And he knew there was no way she was from the South, his grandfather saw to it.

As if to read his mind, the girl raised an eyebrow, her eyes shimmering and he’s never seen such a startling shade of blue before. 

"I should be surprised that a handsome firebender like yourself is being chased by fire nation soldiers but considering they called you prince, I think I have a pretty solid guess.”

He grimaced, somehow momentarily forgetting about the battle they just escaped. “Long story short, I’m trying to find the Avatar so that they could defeat my father. I think word might have gone back to him.”

Locking his gaze with her, he saw the contemplating look she wore and held his breath. He knew that just because she helped him out earlier, didn’t mean she would let him go.

Zuko hopes they’d work together if he was being honest.

“Your father, the Fire Lord?"

He nodded, waving towards the direction he wanted to walk into. “Why don’t we walk and talk? I know we only knocked these soldiers out and I don’t know about you, but I would prefer to eat before fighting again.”

Asking her that was a risk, he knew. If she decided he wasn’t worthy, he knew she would be able to deck him easily. 

“Smooth, handsome, and smart? My lucky day.” She mused and he threw her a lopsided grin. He was about to respond when she glanced up at him, mirth behind her big blue eyes and pointed in a different direction. “If we’re together now, we’re going to be walking in this direction.”

He’d follow her into a volcano at this point.

“Lead the way, pretty lady.”

-

They were walking for a few minutes, chattering when she stopped. “My name’s Katara.”

_ Katara.  _ What a pretty name. “A pretty name for a pretty girl.”

She laughed and smacked his arm, though he’ll take more hits to hear that sound again. “You use that pick-up line on every girl you meet, prince?”

He thanks every spirit for that spontaneous detour his uncle did, leading to this. “I’m only speaking truth. I’m Zuko, son of the guy who wants me dead.”

“You’re the banished prince. Of things I’ve heard, they’ve never mentioned how handsome you are. So what, you went rogue?”

He shrugged his shoulder. “I could say the same for you - I was under the impression that the Northern Water Tribe was to keep out of the war as an agreement with my great-grandfather.”

The moment those words slipped from his lips, he saw her eyes flash and immediately, he regretted his words. Though why she had such a strong reaction to his inquiry-

“Southern Water Tribe. I am from the Southern Water Tribe, do not compare me to my sister tribe of the North.”

_ There were benders left? _

“My apologies.” He raised his hand up. The last thing he wanted to do was insult the only person who wasn’t out to kill him. Well, besides his crew.

She sighed, and he saw the anger leave her in waves. “I know I should be mad at you but for now, it seems like we have the same goal - to end this war. So unless you give me a reason not to, I’m going to trust you to help me with that.” 

He thinks of what his uncle said, about how the Fire Nation and the Southern Water Tribe had the strongest relationships. That with both bending, they were able to create amazing things. He wonders if this was destiny's way of creating that bond again.

Like a reunion of their elements.


	2. Counterpart

Katara knew it was risky, trusting the banished prince of the nation she would like to see fall. A water tribe girl from the south willingly spending time with the fire nation prince - how would she explain this to her brother? To her grangran, once she makes it to the south pole? Her plan wasn’t to run into any soldiers if she could help it.

But she heard the talk, the whispers of the banished prince looking for a way to end this war. 

And it was just her luck that she would be the one to stumble upon him.

Looking over to her companion, she took him in, noticing the sunken cheekbones, the long hair, and it dawned on her that he’s been out here, alone. But before she could speak up, he beat her to it.

“Tell me, how did you get yourself stuck in the woods of the Earth Kingdom?” He asked, raising his eyes briefly, glancing at her before focusing them back on the road. Was it strange, how he was asking her the question she wanted to ask him?

Sighing, she heaved her sack higher on her back. “My brother and I were on our way back south when an unexpected fire raid hit the village we were hiding out at. A nice old couple were keeping us hidden in their house cause they knew what the soldiers would do if they found out we were there.” She grimaced, remembering how strongly the couple wanted to protect them. She will always be thankful for them but they couldn’t have stayed - it would bring harm to those that took them in. “Then we snuck out, but in doing so, we got separated. The storm that followed didn’t help either.”

The memory of it left an ache in her heart - this was the longest she’s ever been without her brother. Even if he might annoy her to the moon and back, he was the only family she had out here. She had to find him soon.

“Since our destination was home, I have to get there. You’re welcome to join me, though,” her lips twisted to the side, staring at him in mild amusement. “I don’t know how welcoming they would be to the son of the man who ordered the last few raids of my homeland.”

It wasn’t that she had to wonder, it was that she _knew._ Her people have lost so much to this war, asking Zuko to come with her to the south pole would be like asking her to come to the fire nation. However, whether he agrees or not was up to him - Katara wasn’t changing her destination to match his.

Her family was all she had left - grangran and Sokka. Her father too, but she has no idea where he is or if he’s even alive. But what she also knew was the realities of this war. There was no false understanding of it. The same couldn’t be said about Zuko, she realized.

She wonders what it must feel like, realizing that everything you knew was a complete lie. Zuko grew up royalty, he was most likely exposed to the propaganda more than any other kid his age. And when he slumped his shoulders, pain radiating from his eyes, she couldn’t help but want to reach out to him.

Sokka always said her soft heart would get her in trouble.

“I grew up thinking that the only proper way to live was the Fire Nation’s way and that it wasn’t really war. It was only after I left the palace did I realize how utterly wrong that was. Ozai doesn’t care about anyone, he just wants complete control over everyone.” He said, confirming her earlier thoughts. “Now the whole world hates us - even our own people.”

There wasn’t much Katara could say to that in the form of comfort since, to her, it was technically true. Her home, as humble as they try to stay, would love to see the demise of Agni’s land. She’s also seen the way the people of the Earth Kingdom curse at the firebenders. But to hear that their own people are turning against them? That was new.

“Your own people?”

He nodded, running a hand through his hair before releasing a frustrated breath. “When I first left, we visited numerous Fire Nation villages and they weren’t pleased to see my uncle and I. It didn’t make sense to me then, why would our own citizens hate us? Then I realized they hate us because they hate the war. And who’s the one raging it still?” 

That made sense to Katara. Who was paying for the war? Whose kids were the ones on the front line?

“This war has taken their fathers, their sons, their daughters and it was all my family’s fault. Some of them are old enough to tell tales on how it was before war, how their villages used to bustle with so many different colors.” He sighed once again, tilting his head back to stare at the sky.

A silence fell upon them and Katara decided to take a good look at the man next to her. This boy, whose father was responsible to the continued killing, seemed nothing like what she heard about the Fire Lord. Why would Ozai send his son away?

“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you get banished?” 

She’d heard people talk about it but the tales were never the same, depending on who was speaking. She saw his jaw clench, making her think this wasn’t a conversation he liked to have. Then again, would she like a stranger asking her such questions? 

He didn’t speak up for a few moments after her question and Katara was starting to think it was something he wouldn’t tell her about. This was fine for her, she wouldn’t push him. Just as she was content to let the silence linger, he surprised her by breaking it.

“I spoke up in a war meeting. I didn’t approve of what this one general said and things got messy. As punishment,” he said the last word with so much venom, she was surprised to find no flame escaping his lips. “I was banished to find the Avatar.”

 _That_ was news to her though she isn’t too surprised that the Fire Lord wanted to find the Avatar. If there was one person who could defeat Zuko’s father, it would be them. “Well, if you spoke up against him, you got my respect,” she snorted and patted his arm. Everyone who mentioned him always did so with a hint of fear. “But the Avatar hasn’t been seen in a hundred years.” She pointed out, not quite understanding why Ozai would send his son out on such a quest. 

Zuko cocked his head to the side and threw her a humorless smile. “I didn’t want to believe it at first, but he didn’t want me to come back. And if I’m banished, I can’t be next in line for the throne. He knew that if I became Fire Lord, I would call an end to this stupid war.”

Katara was wary of this boy but to hear that he wanted to end this war even _before_ he was banished, put him in a new light. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to trust him.

Then again, wouldn’t a normal, compassionate person want to end all the fighting?

“I wasn’t even supposed to be in that meeting. But I wanted to be part of it - shouldn’t the heir to the throne know what was going on?” He let out a chuckle but the sound sent a shiver down her back. He nodded his head towards her, lips drawn into a grim smile. “You want to know what the general wanted to do?” 

She didn’t but instead of saying so, she gave him a small nod.

“He wanted to send in the newly recruited troops to the front lines while the experienced troop infiltrated in the back when they were attacking an Earth Kingdom city.” He paused and Katara had a feeling on what he was going to say but, spirits, she didn’t want to hear it. “They were willing to kill a whole troop of citizens and earthbenders without a second thought. I spoke out against it and now, I don’t know what happened to those troops.” 

Katara knew the Fire Lord was power-hungry but to be so much so that he doesn't care for the life of his people? She didn’t think her hatred of the man could reach an all time high.

"I was banished and I guess I have that to thank him for. It opened my eyes to the cruelty and suffering people are facing." He finished, but Katara could see the pain hidden in his gaze. There was more to the story of his banishment, she could tell, but she didn't want to ask again. Not unless he wanted to speak about it again. 

Placing a hand on his upper arm - it was like an instinct, something she did without thinking. Katara has always been the person to comfort others. She didn’t feel any different in the moment, even if the person with her was Zuko.

“I’m proud of you, Zuko. You stood up for your people.” She muttered, watching the storm in his eyes. She doesn’t know Ozai, much less been in his presence, but if what she heard rings true, he ruled his nation with an iron fist. It must have taken a lot for Zuko to speak up.

When he gazed at her again, there was a faint hint of a smile on his lips before it quickly vanished. “My uncle helped me realize how terrible this war has been for everyone. The propaganda I grew up with was so bad, Katara - every kid under Ozai’s rule is taught that the war was to enlighten the world to the ways of the FIre Nation.” 

There had to be some story the Fire Nation was selling to their citizens, this she knew. But to hear it bluntly, she couldn’t help it - she scoffed. Enlightening the world of their ways? Is that how his father and those before him justified the killing of thousands, of the destroyed cities?

“How do they justify the genocide of the Air Nomads?” She asked, leveling him with a look of utter disbelief. The peaceful nomads.

The look of embarrassment and shame was enough to keep her from sneering at him. It was getting hard, keeping her resentment of his homeland at bay. She has to remember it isn’t Zuko who deserves her wrath. “Sozin had drilled it into everyone’s head that they attacked first. I don’t know how people thought the explanation was enough to condone the eradication of the Air Nomads. How does that explain the fact that no Fire Nation city has any history of such an attack?”

“Wow,” she huffed out, staring at him, trying to understand the words coming out of his mouth with little success. “People just agreed? How did it even make sense that the nomads, the ones that have always preached peace, were the ones to attack your nation first?” That was the thing, it _didn’t_ make any sense. 

“They weren’t considered peaceful according to the Fire Nation - they were called the barbarians.” Zuko winced and his gaze was glued to the ground and Katara came to a halt.

“ _What?_ ” she whirled around to face him, unable to believe what she heard. The nomads, from what she learned both in her home land, the Northern Water Tribe, and here in the Earth KIngdom, were the same; the Air Nomads were peaceful. Not in the way the other nations were - hell, they were known to be vegetarian! How was Sozin able to twist such a tale?

Zuko raised his hands and took a step back. This was enough to get her to close her eyes and take a deep breath. _Zuko isn’t the enemy._

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke up again. “The real reason Sozin attacked the Air Temples was because that’s where the Avatar was going to come from. My mother, her grandfather was Avatar Roku. Back then, Avatar Roku wanted to stop Sozin but before he could, he died from trying to stop a volcano from destroying a city.”

She figured this was the reason, why else would they eradicate a whole nation of people? “The Avatar would have been the only one to stop him.” She said, echoing his earlier point. 

He nodded, jerking his chin in the direction they were heading towards. Sighing, she began walking, aware when he fell right in step with her. To have Zuko tell her all of these things, it made something else more of a bitter pill to swallow than it already was.

“That’s why they attacked my tribe,” she muttered, kicking a small rock angrily. “The next avatar would have been borned to the Water Tribe.”

“And the Southern Water Tribe was where the last few water born avatar were from.” Zuko had to go ahead and confirm, and all Katara could feel at the moment was rage. 

And anguish.

Her people, nearly wiped out because of one man’s selfishness.

“I do have one thing I can promise you, Katara,” he broke her thoughts and she had to restrain from dousing him right then and there.

“Can you bring my people back?” She knew it wasn’t fair to ask him such a question, but she didn’t care at the moment. What could he possibly say to make this all better?

He shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder, sympathy bright in his eyes. “I can’t do that. What I can tell you is that I will end this war. I will get my rightful place on that throne back and stop all of this. If that means I will have to kill Ozai, then so be it.”

She paused in her steps, eyes locked on his. Her people aren’t coming back, she knows this. She was the last of the benders from the south. Ending this war, it would secure her future, her _tribe’s_ future. Hope wasn’t something that came easily to her, especially after everything she’s faced. But if Zuko keeps his promise…

The war would really end.

“I know you said you’re heading back home but after you complete your trip, what do you think of coming back here? To help me end this war Sozin started and what Ozai wants to continue?” He asked and what were the chances that the banished prince of the Fire Nation would ask her, a water tribe girl, to help him end this war?

She thought about her home, the ice, the warmth of her grangran. Her brother, the furs. And she craves it, she misses it like crazy. But if there was a chance she could make their life easier, safer, by having a hand in ending this war, shouldn’t she try?

She owes it to them to try.

Straightening up, Katara gave him a brief smile and held her hand out. “Well, handsome prince. You got yourself a deal. I’ll go home when I can so without fear.”

Zuko let out a breath that sounded like it was in relief and she raised an eyebrow. “What? Thinking I would ditch your ass here?”

His laugh was short but it was something Katara realizes she wouldn’t mind hearing more often. “Well, pretty lady, ready to save the world?” He gripped her hand, shaking it in truce. 

“You better keep your promise, Zuko,” she responded, trading the almost playful atmosphere to seriousness once again. “Or you’d wish I just left your ass.”

He seemed to sober up and nodded his head. “I will, on my honor. But I was also hoping you would help me because once those soldiers wake up, they’ll report back to their base.”

She knew they would do such a thing but at the moment it didn’t seem like a big deal. When she asked Zuko to clarify, she felt a chill rush in to her bloodstream, rooting her still.

“They know you’re a waterbender. Since they think they’ve gotten every bender from the South Pole, where could a water bender be from?" His intense gaze bore into her and it hit her, the reality of what fighting with her bending has done.

"They’ll think the Northern Water Tribe breached the contract. If the North gets dragged into this,” he stopped, his eyes betraying the calmness of his tone. “This war will turn much, much uglier.”

She understood the words he wasn’t saying. They needed to end this war as soon as possible. Or pretty soon, there wouldn't be a world to save. And if anything Katara knows about herself, she would exhaust every chance she could get.

“A waterbender and firebender, children of their nation’s leaders, coming together to end this war.” She mused, shaking her head at the poeticness of it all. If the spirits lead her down this way in order to meet Zuko, she wonders what else they had in store for her.

It almost felt like they were counterparts, opposite elements from both sides of the war, working together to bring peace to the world once and for all.

“‘Children of their nation’s leader?’”

 _Ah, that’s right._ She didn’t tell him.

Smiling, she moved the collar of her tunic, revealing a mark on her collarbone. “You’re looking at Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, daughter of Chief Hakoda and Lady Kya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so updating on time didn't work out but i will finish all the prompts for zutara week! comments are always appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> what do you think of this so far? Leave a comment, please. <3


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